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Join UsStar Cast: Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne, J. Quinton Johnson
Director: Richard Linklate
What’s Good: Cynical treatment of tragic moments, Portrayal of friendship in the most estranged way & Bryan Cranston – Laurence Fishburne’s HILARIOUS atheist VS pastor banter.
What’s Bad: Stretching of one good idea throughout the film, few unconvincing story traits.
Loo Break: Amongst Bryan’s hilarious antics & Steve Carell’s delightful presence you’ll not have an urge to pee.
Watch or Not?: Watch it for Linklater’s vintage touch of portraying a story with optimum usage of genius words.
User Rating:
Last Flag Flying is a story about the most unusual reunion of three ex-marines Richard ‘Doc’ Shepherd (Steve Carrel), Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne). Doc, post leading an away-from-the-limelight life reunites with his old pal Sal 30 years later. There’s always a third musketeer & Doc-Sal have Mueller to complete their trio. With the use of the then-ultramodern world wide web or what we call now as the Internet, Doc manages to find Mueller who once was insanely funny is now a pastor in an all-black church.
Going forward, Doc reveals the real motto behind this sudden reunion. He’s widowed since last few years and recently lost his son, a Marine, in Iraq war. He’s on his way to Arlington National Cemetery to bury his son but wants his close buddies to be on this journey. Unraveling few mysteries, revisiting their past, succumbing us in their tragic-yet-intriguing stories is what this masterpiece does during the remaining time.
Last Flag Flying Movie Review: Script Analysis
The script is a winner! Penned by Richard Linklater and Darryl Ponicsan, Last Flying Flag is a wonder of words. You don’t have many picturesque locations but you’ve three friends expressing themselves to each other on an unexpected journey.
It starts on a slow note but as soon as Linklater builds the base of the trio’s bromance you start finding yourself in one of them. As the story is set in 2003 when Internet & mobile phones were alien to many, Linklater nails those nostalgic moments and everyone who used mobile phones when they were invented will connect to it instantly.
Last Flag Flying Movie Review: Star Performance
Bryan Cranston, the master of television, our beloved Heisenberg, has never got his due on big screen. He impregnates his quirky attributes in the character of Sal. You just cannot get enough of him. He brings the house down with his lively presence.
Steve Carrel – The Office guy, is the hushed one amongst three but still manages to evoke as many emotions with just his shoulder-upped smile. He is the one hoisting the entire story building up a string first base to enjoy the film.
Laurence Fishburne as his holiness illustrates his dual toned character in the most beautiful way. A sober Reverend Pastor who once was not this all-perfect righteous guy is performed with perfection by Fishburne.
Last Flag Flying Movie Review: Direction, Music
Richard Linklater, the master who has gifted us with movies like Before Trilogy and Boyhood, aces his art in this one too. Conversations play an important part in his films and Last Flag Flying is also nothing but a string of wonderful conversations helped with a back story. He juggles the comic element & emotional outbursts very well without dropping anything on the ground.
Graham Reynolds supervises the musical zone of the film. He does well with the background score but somewhere falls short in being a melodious one. He has previously coupled with Linklater in Before Midnight which was a majestic euphonic rendition.
Last Flag Flying Movie Review: The Last Word
We got an opportunity to watch this film at JIO MAMI 2017 and it will have its USA release on 3rd November. If Last Flag Flying releases in India, do give it a chance for its impeccable writing & once-in-a-long-while performances. It’s not a masterpiece & neither it pretends to be one, watch it for its honesty.
Three stars!
Last Flag Flying Movie Review
Last Flag Flying Movie releases on 13th October 2017.
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